if they want you, they're gonna have to fight me
by stormcages
Summary: Mels and Rory have a nightmare.


Rory fell asleep on the floor in his sleeping bag, Mels tucked in her own across the room. Amy was already asleep on Rory's bed (a decision they had all unanimously agreed upon, much to Amy's surprise). After a few hours, he woke up groggily, his head spinning. Why was he up? Rory's hand flew to his forehead and he scrunched his eyes closed in order to combat a small wave of nausea. He opened one eye and then the other and blinked away the black.

"I see you… I see you."

Rory stopped breathing, panic stricken. When he realized the whisper came only from Mels, he let out a shaky breath and shifted so that he could see her from the top of his sleeping bag. She faced him, but her eyes were glued to the wall behind him. She'd been crying.

"Mels?" he whispered, causing her to jump. Her eyes never moved away.

"Rory… Go back to sleep."

"I can't. You're talking."

"Go back to sleep. I'll stop. Promise."

Rory shut his eyes for a moment, hearing her ragged breaths. He tossed and turned until he opened his eyes again to see her still watching the wall.

"What are you looking at—" he stopped when he turned.

Against the wall, less than a meter away, stood some… thing dressed in a suit. Rory stared, his eyes popping in shock. He felt fear climb all the way up his throat and he wanted to scream but he couldn't, all he could do was stare. Its skin glistened in the moonlight and he could hear Mels ignore her promise.

"I see you," she whispered. "I see you."

The two of them lay in front of the Guardian of Hell. Every nightmare Rory had ever had paled in comparison to this horror. His skin crawled and he didn't want to look away, whatever it was. The creature clicked and turned and stared at them both, looking down with haunting eyes. Its hands and fingers twitched as if it wanted to strike. Everything went cold and quiet and but the roar in Rory's ears was deafening. It waited. It watched. It opened its mouth to speak—

And then Rory turned to look back at Mels.

"… Mels? Why are you crying?"

Mels shut her eyes and kept them closed for a few long minutes. The clock on the all ticked. The sound returned to the room. When she opened them again, she looked confused. She still shook.

"Mels? Why were you crying?"

Her whole body tightened, every muscle tensing at the realization. She didn't remember starting to cry. She never could remember just what caused it, but she remembered finding herself in the middle of the night, a door open when it shouldn't be. Closing her eyes again, she struggled out of her sleeping back. Her clothes clung to her and her skin shone with cold sweat. When she finally got herself freed, Mels made her way over to Rory's sleeping bag, which she promptly unzipped unceremoniously. Rory didn't say anything, just let Mels crawl into his sleeping bag and zip it up after her. Mels faced away from the wall and Rory faced her, his tiny body warm when hers was cold. Rory pressed his forehead against her back, causing her to jump at first before she let her muscles loosen. The shaking subsided after a few minutes. They didn't talk. Mels hesitantly reached behind her and grabbed Rory's hand and it was Rory's turn to jump slightly. When she didn't take her hand away after a few minutes, Rory let it be, closing his eyes again.

They both drifted off to sleep.

Amy woke them up by tossing a pillow at their faces. Rory and Mels both grunted and slipped out of the sleeping bag amidst Amy's laughter.

"Rory and Mels sittin' in a tree—" she started.

Mels made such a face that Amy's laughter began anew.

"No WAY!" Mels and Rory said together.

Mels turned to stick her tongue out at Rory. "That'd be weird."

Rory's face had gone pale and he'd stood straight up.

"No way," he repeated, his voice soft as he took a step forward to be even with Mels.

"Whatever," Amy shrugged, running over to her overnight bag and grabbing a toothbrush before heading off to the bathroom.

Mels and Rory both watched her until the door shut tight. Mels offered Rory a sideways glance before elbowing him in the ribs.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

Rory's grinned shyly.

"No problem, Mels."


End file.
